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Position
Cat5 is looking for a Product Developer / Technical Designer to help us bring new products to market for the Mission Made brand. Mission Made is a new high-growth tactical brand with a strong focus on apparel, footwear and tactical accessories. This position will enjoy the entire lifecycle of product development, from initial concept to sell through to end of life.
We are seeking someone with a strong background in successfully bringing new products to market, along with the skills to overcome the various obstacles that are bound to present themselves. Strong, proactive communication skills paired with the ability to work independently while coordinating with the rest of our team is essential.
The ideal candidate will be well versed in apparel development. They should be able to analyze opportunities for new products, develop initial concepts that are consistent with our brand DNA, work with factories to produce samples, iterate on initial designs, and see the product through to delivery. This role will then mine customer feedback for opportunities to refine our product and implement those changes on future orders.
The right candidate is a creative problem solver, is highly organized, and thrives in a fast-paced environment.
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Duties*
- Develop new products and make design modifications to existing products, primarily in apparel, footwear and tactical accessories
- Work directly with factories to develop prototypes that lead to consumer-ready products
- Ensure products are meeting our size/fit specs and refine those specs over time
- Ensure overall quality of samples before production
- Collaborate with sourcing specialist to develop the products using reliable manufacturers while hitting our cost objectives
- Serve as a primary point of contact for product design
- Coordinate all samples and maintain a highly organized sample library for reference
- Seek input from the design and marketing teams to keep on-brand regarding potential products, logo applications, and packaging
- Assist in the creation of hang tags, instructions, etc.
- Ensure expediency of all development to ensure timely delivery for product launch
- Keep thorough records of work progress within Trello, Slack, Google Drive and relevant documents
Qualifications
- 3+ years experience in product development and/or technical design
- Apparel sizing and grading
- Excellent communication skills to effectively instruct overseas factories on product designs
- Enjoys not only the product development and design but also the research and organizational aspects required to excel
- Strong product management and time management skills
- Proficiency in Photoshop, Illustrator and/or other technical product design software
- Exceptional attention to detail and ability to multitask in a deadline-driven atmosphere
- Proficient in Google Apps
- Collaborative team player
- Desire to work in fast paced environment
Major Pluses
- Working knowledge of fabrics, trims and market trends
- Direct experience working with Asian factories
- Footwear development experience
- Packaging expertise
- BeProduct PLM experience
- Familiarity with tactical, military or outdoor markets
About Us
Cat5 Commerce is an online retail company based in Chesterfield, Missouri. We operate a handful of niche ecommerce destinations serving the tactical, outdoor and workwear markets including TacticalGear.com and WorkBoots.com
We have enjoyed consistent growth with each passing year, and strive to actively recruit and retain the best and brightest talent. Recognized as a Top Workplace by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, our culture provides a healthy, challenging and people-focused atmosphere. We offer a top-tier benefits package and collaborative workspace for those who thrive in a casual yet fast paced environment.
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Benefits*
- 401k Retirement Plan w/ company match and Roth IRA availability (no waiting period to enroll)
- Comprehensive, family-friendly health and dental coverage w/ generous company premium contributions + Health Deductible HRA
- Paid Maternity & Paternity leave
- Flexible Paid Time Off (PTO)
- Optional voluntary benefits including vision coverage, short term disability, term life insurance, accidental injury coverage
- Generous employee discounts on major brands such as Nike, Under Armour, etc
Job Type: Full-time
Pay: $50,000.00 – $90,000.00 per year
